Together We Stand

[ 46 ] recognizes and upholds the United Nations Charter of Human Rights. Advocacy in support of interreligious and intercultural dialogue by the centre seeks to foster respect, understanding and cooperation among people, while promoting justice, peace and reconciliation, and counteracting the abuse of religion to justify violence. In doing so, KAICIID strives to ensure inclusivity, reflected in the structure of its governing bodies with a board of directors comprising representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism and an advisory forum consisting of representatives of these and other faiths as well as interreligious and like-minded organizations. The United Nations Charter of Human Rights codes the fundamental rights that often cannot be fully exercised or are abused in many societies today, when facing war, conflicts, environmental challenges and extreme poverty. Often religious leaders are well-positioned to address these existing challenges, in part because they and their communities are locally based. Therefore KAICIID, through its work in interreligious dialogue and interreligious peacebuilding, includes and supports religious leaders in working towards preserving the dignity of human life, the preservation of the environment, the sustainable use of natural resources, ethical and religious education and poverty alleviation. Together, religious leaders, representatives of cultural and interfaith institutions, political and international representatives and experts can cooperate to find and implement the most effective means to address these challenges. KAICIID’s mandate creates a basis for it to bring together these groups, which otherwise might not convene, and to facilitate cooperation towards these ends. There are many obstacles that generate conflicts and destruction. Some politicians and religious leaders have manipulated religious identity to fuel conflicts and wars. KAICIID’s mission is to enhance the immunity of communities and societies against such manipulation. Through joint interreligious initiatives, leaders and institutions can illustrate to their communities the possibilities for genuine socioeconomic development. Thus development, relief and religion are interlinked and interrelated. Religious leaders see the facilitation of relief and development as part of their religious duties. Faith-based organizations (such as Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Islamic Relief; SEWA International and Buddhist Global Relief) are very active in responding to humanitarian crises as a result of disasters and violence. KAICIID’s values of inclusivity and sustainability are an excellent basis for supporting the work of religious leaders in development, as well as relief. Innumerable people live in conflict regions or have fled them, often carrying with them traumas and grievances. In the area of peacebuilding, it is essential to link policymakers with religious institutions in conflict areas in order to facilitate a more constructive process of peacebuilding. KAICIID works on building programmes for these afflicted regions, currently with special focus on Iraq and Syria, the Central African Republic (CAR), Myanmar and Nigeria. For example, in 2014 and again in 2015, KAICIID convened religious leaders from communities in Iraq, Syria and neighbouring countries that face the destruction of war and the threat of the Islamic State. Joining these religious leaders were civil society organizations and political representatives who are working on the ground to alleviate the challenges facing displaced populations and the regions that are hosting them. These partners are also working to prevent the radicalization of individuals by addressing societal problems that act as root causes for KAICIID experts train Scouts from several countries in interreligious dialogue during the 7th African Scout Youth Forum in Uganda, August 2015 KAICIID Secretary General Faisal bin Muaammar meets Scouts in the Dialogue Tent at the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, Kirara-hama, Japan, August 2015 Image: WOSM Image: KAICIID T ogether W e S tand